Inking mechanism for printing machines



May 6, 1930. F. C. MARQUARD F 7 INKING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed July 12. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY.

May 6, 1930. F. c. MARQUA'RDT 1,757,808

I INKING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed July 12,1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

M 17 [18 (an ,3, -3

2 as INVENTOR Fig.5,v

ATTORNEY.

Patented May 6, 1930 time srarss FRANK C. MARQUARIDT, OF BROOKLYN, NEW." YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK INKING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES Application filed July 12, 1928.. Serial Na. 292,256.

1 various negotiable instruments, sensitive inks being commonly used in the production of such tints. The vehicles for such inks are so: affected by the chemicals. used to make them sensitive as: to impart greater viscosity there 15 to than characterizes ordinary litho varnish vehicle inks, and with a continued run of a press, the ink in the fount. takes such form: as to lose the intimate relation between same. and the ink fount roll necessary to a proper feeding of the ink to the ductor roll. Hence the quantity of ink delivered to said roll can not be controlled by the adjustable feed blade of the i'ount, but will be determined b the condition of the mass of ink in the ount which is subject to constant variation.

lVith low speed presses, in order to. permit the effective use of sensitive inks, it is necessary for the pressman. to frequentlywork the ink with a hand spatula,.but this does notv secure. uniform and even feeding movement. of the ink towards the ink fount roll nor a. proper distribution of ink thereupon, except possibly immediately following'each worle ing of the ink. With high speed presses, the ink fount or founts require almostv constant,

attention to ensure proper inking when. sensitive inks are being used.

To correct the above. condition, it has been endeavored to use in the ink fount various well. known types of ink agitators, but when using sensitive inks, the ordinary agitators have been found not to give satisfactory results.

With the above conditions in mind, the invention. contemplates an inking mechanism, in which the ink fount is provided with re ciprocatory paddles so formed, and. so actuated, as to force the ink in the fount upon a wide band of the peripheral. area of the ink. founti roll prior to, and during, each actu- In a printing machine equipped with the mechanism of the inventiomthe quantity of ink present in a fount iscomparativelsmall as compared with the quantity of in ordinarily used, and substantially the entire. volume of inkis constantly brought and maintained in contact with, or in close proximity to, the ink fount. roll.

The manner of applying the ink to the ink fount roll permits the close setting of the feed blade of the fount and ensures a film of inkupon the portion of the roller engaged by the ductor roll with each transfer of ink thereto, of the desired thickness to ensure thle delivery of sufiicient ink to the ductor r0- 1. V i

V The inking mechanism of the invention. was developed in. connection with high speed, multicolor, offset, pl-anographic printing, n1achines, which have a plurality of. plate cylinders and a, plurality of ink founts assaciatcd with each cylinder. In connection. with a press of this character, the inking mechanism of the invention is particularly desirable, since during the run of the press, the ink founts require little or no attention from the pressman beyond an occasional inspectionto ensure themaintenanoe of an adequate supply of ink in each fount.

Ordinarily,.ink fount. rollers receive rotary movement only during that interval when the ductor roll is in engagement therewith, butit has. been found desirable to so constru ct the'inki'ng mechanism that the ink will be applied to a portion of the roller while it is at rest, and also while it is being turned, The various paddles and their actuating means are so constructed and S0 function as to force substantially the entire volume. of ink in the fount, toward the ink fount roll, but-to apply only a. comparatively thin stratum of ink to the roll while at the. same time effectively packing the space between the roll and movement, the mechanism is so constructed as to ensure the automatic adjustment of the position of the paddles to accord with the direction of their movement so as to ensure the same action, so far as the application of ink to the roller is concerned, irrespective of the direction of movement of the paddles. The construction of the various paddles and their mode of operation, is such as to secure this automatic adjustment of the various paddles as a result of resistance to their movement by the ink in the fount.

In an inking mechanism embodying the invention, it is desirable to so support the varizius paddles and so connect them with their actuating means, as to permit of variation of the number of paddles and in the spacing of same within the fount, while at the same time avoiding projecting parts which might interfere with free access to the press of the printing couplewhile the press is in operation.

The invention consists primarily in an inking mechanism for printing machines, en bodying therein in combination with an ink fount having a feed plate, an ink fount roll co-operating therewith, a ductor roll, and means for actuating said ink fount roll, of a reciprocatory member, means for actuating same, a plurality of supports movable with said reciproeatory member, a paddle mounted upon and adapted to have free pivotal movement in relation to each of said supports, the lower edge of the paddle extending into close proximity to said plate, and the free edge thereof extending into close proximity to said ink fount roll, and means limiting the movement of each paddle about its pivotal connection with the support; and in such other novel features of construction and combination of parts, as are hereinafter set forth and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side view of an inking mechanism embodying the invention with a portion of the wall of the ink fount and a portion of the ink fount roll broken away to disclose the interior, and a portion of the paddle mechanism within, the fount;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation at one end of the fount;

Fig. 3 is a plan view adjacent one end of the fount;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the paddle mechanisms and its support, upon a larger scale; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of Fig. 4.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In the accompanying drawings, the invention is illustrated as embodied in a well known construction of ink fount, embodying therein the usual container and its adjustable feed plate 11. Mounted in the fount, adjacent the edge of said feed plate, is an ordinary ink fount roll 12 carrying a ratchet wheel 13 by which it is intermittently turned. Associated with the ink fount roll 12 is an ordinary ductor roll 14: having associated therewith a cutting roll 15. A. fragmentary portion of one of the distributing rolls cooperating with the ductor roll 14 is shown at 16.

Mounted concentric with the ink fount roll 12 and its ratchet wheel 13, is a bell crank lever 17 carrying a pawl 18, co-operating with the ratchet wheel 13. One arm of this lever is connected by a link 19 with a bell crank lever 20 which is actuated from a crank wheel 21 upon the shaft of the distributing roller 16, by a link 22.

The foregoing mechanisms are old and well known in the art, and in their specific details form no part of the present invention which relates more particularly to the combination with such or a similar ink fount mechanism, of a particular construction of paddle mechanism which will now be described.

Mounted in suitable bearings 23 upon the ink fount 10 is a slidable bar 24; adapted to be reciprocated by means of a bell crank le ver 25 mounted upon a fitting 26 carried by the ink fount frame. One arm of this lever 25 is connected to the bar 2 1 by means of a link 27, and the other arm is connected by a link 23 with one arm of the bell. crank lever 20. This actuating means ensures movement of the paddles actuated thereby in one direction, while the pawl 18 is riding idly over the teeth of the ratchet wheel 13, and movement in the opposite direction, while said pawl imparting movement to said ratchet wheel and to the ink fount roll 12.

Carried by the bar 24 is a plurality of supports each of which is constructed the same as every other and has associated therewith a paddle, the manner of associating each paddle with its support being the same. A description of but one of these elements will, therefore, be entered into.

Each of said supports consists of a bracket 29 having a yoke 30 adapted to straddle the slide bar 2% and be secured thereto by means of a set screw 31. This bracket is of cast metal and has secured thereto, by means of a clamp nut 32, a plate 33, the lower edge of which extends substantially parallel with the feed plate 11. Pivot-ally mounted upon the plate 33, by means of a hinge 34:, is a trapeziunrshaped paddle 35, which, like the plate 33, is of sheet metal. The lower edge of this paddle extends into close proximity to the feed plate 11, and the substantially vertical edge thereof extends into close proximity to the ink fount roll 12 and tangentially to the periphery thereof.

The bracket 29 brings substantially the entire paddle mechanism within the confines of the ink fount so as to leave a clear field tion.

above this fount to enable the pressman to reach over the fount and do any necessary work upon the impression cylinder of the printing couple while the press is in opera- Furthermore, the yoke 30 and set screw 31 permit plate 33 and its paddle to be adjusted along and set at any point of, theslide bar 24, or to be brought into any desired relation to adjacent supports and paddles.

To secure the desired movement of the ink in the fount 10 toward and into engagement with the ink fount roll 12, it is essential that the paddle 35, while it is operative to so move the ink, shall be set at an angle to the plate 33, sheer in this paddle being necess ry in order to crowd the ink toward the roll 12, but to cause a fairly thin stratum of ink to be applied to the ink fount roll 12, it is necessary to provide means defining the extreme angular relation of the paddle with the plate 33. Since the support 33 and the paddle have movement in both directions, it is necessary to provide such means which will permit a limited turning movement of the paddle about its point of pivotal support, (the hinge 34) according to the direction of movement of the slide bar 24 and the support 33. This reversal in the position of the paddle, with a reversal of the movement of the bar 24, is essential in order to secure the desired mode of operation of the inking mechanism as a whole.

The means limiting the movement of the paddle about its pivotal connection consists of a member 36 straddling the paddle 35 and mounted upon the pin of the hinge 34, member having divergent stop members 37 and 38 adapted respectively to engage the plate 33 according to the direction of movement of the paddle 35 and the bar 24.

The operation of the herein described mechanism is substantially as follows lVith the parts in the position shown more particularly in Figs. 1 to 3, the ink fount roll 12 will be at rest and the ductor roll 14 will be disengaged therefrom and be engaged wlth the distributing roller 16 so asto transfer ink thereto. With the continued rotation of the crank wheel 21, however, the bell crank lever 20 will be so reciprocated as to oscillate the bell crank lever 17 and cause the pawl 18 to move to the left, Fig. 1, and ride over the teeth of the ratchet wheel 13 without imparting any movement to the ink fount roller. With this movement the bell crank lever 20, however, the link 23 will oscillate the bell crank lever 25, and through the thrust of the link 2'? upon the bar 24, move this bar carrying with it the various brackets 29 and plates 33 to the right, Fig. 3. During the first part of this movement of the plates 33, the various pad-' dles 35 will have substantially no movement with relation to the ink fount roll 12, but since are free to turn about the hinge 34, the reoffered by the ink, will cause such turning movement without movement of the paddle in relation to the roll 12. l

The pivotal movement of the pad 'lle will, however, one of the st members as 37 into engagement with the side of the plate 33 and stop such turning movement of the paddle, with the paddle so positioned as to present an inclined surface to the ink. With the continued movement of the bar 24, the paddles will have movement therewith and thus crowd or force the ink in advance of each paddle toward the ink fount roll 12. By reason of the height of the paddle, this action will apply the ink to the roll 12 from the plate 11 to substantially the horizontal diameter of said roll. The stifiness or viscosity of the ink will assist in securing a desired application of the ink to the roll 12 by the various paddles, since the ink will have little or no tendency to flow between the vertical edge of the paddle and the roll, notwithstanding the suction back of the paddle. The travel of the various paddles 35 with the slide 24 will have wiping action which will raise the level of the ink closely adjacent the ink fount roll 12 and apply a stratum of ink directly to the roll to the height above indicated.

Closely adjacent the feed plate 11, the ink will be forced toward the roller in sufiicient volume to completely fill the space caused by the conver ence of this plate and the perimetcr of the roll 12. This movement of the paddles, while th ink roll 12 is at rest, assures an adequate supply of ink about the portion of the roller within the fount and adjacent the plate 11 preparatory to the initial turning movement of the roller incidental to the conveying of ink from the fount to a position where it can be picked up from the ink fount roll by the duotor roll 14. The raising of the level of the ink also ensures the application of the ink in a much wider band than that represented by the normal level of the ink in the fount.

When the crank wheel 21 has completed 130 of its movement necessary to impart the maximum movement to the bar 24 in one direction, there is a reversal of the movement of the various cranks and links and of the bar 24 together with the various paddl s and their supports. During the early of the movement in this reverse direction, t ie various paddles 35 will have no movement with the bar 24, but will merely have pivotal movement about the hinge 34 until the other stop 23 engages the plate 33, whereupon the proper angularity or sheer of the paddle will be established, and thereafter the paddles will have lineal movement with the bar 24 and will, as heretofore described, force or crowd the ink toward the roll during such lineal movement.

During the turning movement of the paddles, the ink fount roll 12 will be having r0- tary movement and will be conducting ink in a thin stratum from the ink tount. The ink between the roll 12 and the plate 11 is adequate to afford a suilicient supply of ink to ensure the continued application of ink to the roll during the turning movement of the paddles, but the sluggish character of the ink is such that following the initial movement of the roll there will be a loss of that intimate contact between the roll and the main body of the ink necessary to maintain an adequate supply. This is due to the fact that the ink does not flow readily, even though the plate 1.1 is inclined. This characteristic is one which is peculiar to sensitive inks so far as this excessive sluggishness is concerned.

The lineal movement of the various paddles with the bar 2%, however, ensures a continued feeding of the ink toward the roll 12, and the wide band of in i applied thereto prior to the initial turning movement of the roll supplies ink to be carried with the roll toward the plate 11.

From the foregoing it will be clear that the reciprocation of the paddles 35 in one direction, while the roll 12 is at rest, causes the application of ink thereto in a wide band so as to ensure an adequate supply of ink during the initial turning movement of the roll, and that the movement of the paddles in the opposite direction ensures the maintenance of an adequate supply of ink in direct contact with the roll during the actual feeding of the ink thereby.

l Vhile the lineal movement of the paddles has the effect of raising the level of the ink adjacentthe roll 12, the turning of this roll will have the effect of restoring the ink level in advance of each of the paddles.

The purpose of the herein described mechanism is to constantly feed the ink toward the ink tount roll so as to maintain an adequate supply upon the roll in order to ensure an oflective action of the plate 11 in delivering a proper quantity of ink by means of the roll 12 to the ductor roll 14. The working of the ink is no function of the paddles, since such is unnecessary with high grade inks such as sensitive litho inks.

In the form of the invention shown in the drawings, the ink fount roll actuating pawl 18 and the slide 24 are accurately timed in their operative eitect upon the ink fount roll l and the paddles 35, since both of these parts are simultaneously actuated from the rocking bell crank lever 20. The movements of this lever 20 are rapid, since the printing machine with which the invention is used is a high speed machine, the difiiculties in prepyoked supports 29, each of the paddle mechanisms may be removed from the tount, not only to permit the cleaning of the fount, but of the paddle mechanisms themselves. If desired, in order to avoid the necessity for resetting the various paddle mechanisms in relation to the slide 24, the supporting plates 33 may be disconnected from the brackets 29 respectively, the use of the slot and bolt for connecting said supports to said brackets permitting the removal of the supports in the manner above described.

It is not my invention to limit the invention to the precise details of construction and combination of parts shown in the drawings, it being apparent that such may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is

1. An inking mechanism for printing machines, embodying therein in combination with an ink fount having a feed plate, an ink fount roll eo-operating therewith, a ductor roll, and means for actuating said ink tount roll, of a reciprocatory member, means for actuating same, a plurality of supports movable with said reciprocatory member, a paddle mounted upon and adapted to have free pivotal movement in relation to each of said supports, the lower edge of the paddle extending into close proximity to said plate, and the free edge thereof extending into close proximity to said ink tount roll, and means limiting the movement of each paddle about its pivotal connection with the support.

2. An inking mechanism for printing machines, embodying therein in combination with an ink founthaving a feed plate, an ink tount roll co-operating therewith, a ductor roll, and means for intermittently actuating said ink fount roll, of a reciprocatory member, means imparting movement to said reciprocatory member in one direction while said ink tount roll is at rest, and imparting movement thereto in the opposite direction while said ink fount roll is in motion, a plurality of supports movable with said reciprocatory member, a paddle pivotally connected with each of said supports, the lower edge of the paddle extending into close proximity to said plate, and the free edge thereof extending into close proximity to said ink fount roll, and means limiting the movement of each paddle about its pivotal connection with the support.

3. An inking mechanism for printing machines, embodying therein in combination with an ink fount having a feed plate, an ink fount roll co-operating therewith, a ductor roll, and means for actuating said ink fount roll, of a reciprocatory member, means for actuating same, a plurality of supports, means detachably and adjustably mounting said supports upon said member, a paddle pivotally connected with each of said supports, the lower edge of the paddle extending into close proximity to said plate, and the free edge thereof extending into close proximity to said ink tonnt roll, and means limiting the movement of each paddle about its pivotal connection with the support.

4. An inking mechanism for printing machines, embodying therein in combination with an ink fount having a feed plate, an ink fount roll co-operating therewith, a ductor roll, and means for actuating said ink i'ount roll, of a reciprocatory member, means for actuating same, a plurality of brackets, each having a yoke adapted to straddle the reciprocatory member, means co-operating with said yoke and said member for adjustably and removably connecting the bracket'thereto, a

' plate detachably connected with said bracket,

a paddle pivotally connected with said plate, the lower edge of the paddle extending into close proximity to said feed plate, and the free edge thereof extending into close proximity to said ink fount roll, and means limiting the movement of each paddle about its pivotal connection with the support.

5. An inking mechanism for printing machines, embodying therein in combination with an ink fount having a feed plate, an ink fount roll co-operating therewith, a ductor roll, and means for intermittently actuating said ink tount roll, of a reciprocatory member, means imparting movement to said re- 'ciprocatory member in one direction while said ink fount roll is at rest, and imparting movement thereto in the opposite direction' while said ink fount roll is in motion, a plurality of supports, means detachably and adjustably mounting said supports upon said member, a paddle pivotally connected with each of said supports, the loweredge of the paddle extending into close proximity to said plate, and the free edge thereof extending into close proximity to said ink fount roll, and means limiting the movement of each paddle about its pivotal connection with the support.

6. An inking mechanism for printing machines, embodying therein in combination with an ink fount having a feed plate, an ink fount roll co-operating therewith, a ductor roll, and means for intermittently actuating said ink. tount roll, of a re'ciprocatory member, means imparting movement to said re ciprocatory member in one direction while said ink fount roll is at rest, and imparting movement thereto in the opposite direction while said ink fount roll is in motion, a plurality of brackets, each having a yoke adapted to straddle the reciprocatory member, means co-operating with said yoke and said member for adjustably and removably connecting the bracket thereto, a plate detachably connected with said bracket, a paddle pivotally 0011- nected with said plate, the lower edge of the paddle extending into close proximity to said feed plate, and the free edge thereof extending into close proximity to said ink fount roll, and means limiting the movement of each oscillatory support therefor, a bell crank lever, connections between said lever and said support, a crank wheel, and a link connecting said crank wheel with said bell crank lever, of

a reciprocatory member, a second bell crank lever, connections between one arm otsaid second bell crank lever and said reciprocatory member, and between the other arm of said bell crank lever andv said first named bell crank lever, whereby said reciprocatory mem her will receive movement in one direction during movement of said pawl in relation to said ratchet,iand will receive movement in the other direction during movement of said ratchet by said pawl, aplurality of supports movable withsaid reciprocatory member, a

paddle pivotally connected with each of said supports, the lower edge of the paddle extending into close proximity to said plate, and the free edge thereof extending into close proximity to said ink fount roll, and means limiting the movment o1"; each paddle about its pivotal connection with the support.

8. An inking mechanism for printing machines, embodying therein in combination with an ink fount having a feed plate, an ink fount roll co-operating therewith, a ductor roll, a ratchet wheel carried by said ink fount roll, a pawl co-operating therewith, and means for actuating said pawl, including an oscillatory support therefor, a bell crank lever, connections between said lever and said support, a crank wheel, and a link connecting said crank wheel with said bell crank lever, of a reciprocatory member, a second bell crank lever, connections between one arm of said second bell crank lever and said reciprocatory member, and between the other arm of said bell crank lever and said first named bell crank lever, whereby said reciprocatory member will receivemovement in one direction during movement of said pawl in'relation to said ratchet, and will receive movement in' the other direction during movement of said ratchet by said pawl, a

plurality of brackets, each having a yoke adapted to straddle the reciprocatorymember, means co-operating with said yoke and said member for adjustably and removably connecting the bracket theret a plate d tachably connected with said bracket, a paddle pivotally connected with said plate, the lower edge of the paddle extending into close proximity to said feed plate, and the free edge thereof extending into close proximity to said ink fount roll, and means limiting the movement of each paddle about its pivotal connection with the support.

9. An inking mechanism for printing 1nachines, embodying therein in combination with an ink fount having a feed plate, an ink fount roll co-operating therewith, a ductor roll, and means for actuating said ink fount roll, of a reciprocatory member, means for actuating same, a plurality of brackets, each having a yoke adapted to straddle the reciprocatory member, means co-operating with said yoke and said member for adjustably and removably connecting the bracket there to, a plate detachably connected with said bracket, a paddle pivotally connected with said plate, the lower edge of the paddle extending into close proximity to said feed plate, and the free edge thereof extending into close proximity to said ink fount roll, and a member mounted at the point of pivotal connection between said paddle and said plate, said member straddling and engaging said paddle, and having divergent stop members adapted respectively to engage said plate, whereby movement of each paddle about its pivotal connection with the support is limited.

In witness whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature this 28th day of June, 1928. FRANK C. MARQUARDT. 

